Europe's R&D: Missing the wrong targets?

Europe is not delivering on its commitment under the Lisbon agenda to increase its R&D-to-GDP ratio to 3% by 2010. But does the European Commission's practice of benchmarking each and every member state against the headline 3% figure make sense? R&D intensity is influenced by industrial specialisation, but also by other factors such as a large integrated market for technology and a favourable environment for academic research. What can be done by the EU and by the governments of the member states to improve the situation? © Springer-Verlag 2008.